Modi says India is a strong contender to host 2036 Olympics, announces nationwide talent hunt on Independence Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026, that India is a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympics and that a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 will be launched to identify prospects. He announced the programme would provide special training to selected youngsters as part of broader efforts to strengthen India's presence at the Games.
Modi credited the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), launched in 2014, with helping athletes and cited an expansion in sports infrastructure and programmes. "India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tri-colour going up very often. TOPS has achieved great success. Whether it is Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games, Winter Games, or sports training, sports medicine, sports nutrition, India is moving ahead at great pace," he said. He also said, "India's performance is improving, and we are strong contenders to become an Olympic host in 2036. We are hosting the CWG in 2030. There are about 40 disciplines in Olympics, with nearly 350 events. It is sad that we don't compete in at least two third of these events because we are not even able to qualify. We have decided that in 2036, we should have participation in at least three fourth events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country. They will get special training to become world class athletes," he added.
The talent hunt will target children aged 5 to 15 across India and will include specialised training for those identified as prospects, the Prime Minister said. The programme will rely heavily on Artificial Intelligence for fitness battery tests, described as a series of exercises to measure cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, speed and agility, flexibility and balance along with movement.
PTI had reported in January that plans for a talent hunt aimed at the 2036 Games were in the brainstorming stage, with an emphasis on developing strength in aquatics and cycling. The article noted that both aquatics and cycling together offer over 100 Olympic medals but that India has not won medals in those disciplines so far. "It's an approach that China adopted for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It drastically improved its performance in disciplines that it didn't do well previously, such as boxing, canoeing and archery, for a record tally of 100 medals in that edition," the report said.
The coverage provided medal and event counts for sports targeted in the expansion plan: aquatics — defined as swimming, diving, waterpolo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming — will offer 55 of the more than 350 overall medals across 36 disciplines at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the article said, adding, "But India is not expected to get any of these." Rowing has 45 medals at stake in Los Angeles across 15 events, and cycling's 22 events will produce 66 medals.
Current domestic talent pipelines and facilities were described alongside the new initiative: the Khelo India Talent Development (KITD) scheme focuses on identifying young sporting talent, provides formative training and creates pathways to Khelo India Academies, National Camps, and other elite sports schemes. As per the Sports Ministry, there are 1067 Khelo India Centres (KICs) across the country. Modi also asked, "Duniya ke sports events Bharat mein kyu na hon? (Why should global events not be held in India)," and the Sports Ministry, headed by Mansukh Mandaviya, has unveiled a calendar that includes 11 international competitions in India over the next six months. This includes the Badminton World Championships beginning here on Monday (August 17).
A government source told PTI in January, "Not every school-going kid would know his sporting capabilities or take to sport naturally. But if we are able to take our talent hunt nationwide through basic tests to understand individual capabilities, we might find kids who are good at sport but don't yet know about it." The fate of India's 2036 Olympic bid is expected to be known in 2029, and India is scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.